Menu

Living by Faith

Winnowing the Field

Did you know that the Bible actually gives us a method for electing government officials? For the longest time, I didn’t realize there was one. So, allow me to share with you how I have winnowed the field of candidates running for President of the United States. The entire process is based on the Word of God. I truly believe the Bible gives us a minimum plumbline that any candidate seeking any governmental office must meet.

Exodus 18:21 tells us that we are to select capable men that fear God, tell the truth and hate covetousness and then place them to be rulers over 1000s, 100s, 50s, & 10s. (Can you see the City, County, State, Federal separation there?)

Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (Exodus 18:21)

Then when you read Romans chapter 13, you’ll see the role of government is to punish evil. Interestingly enough it then goes on to define specifically what is evil when it refers to half of the 10 commandments. Why half, you may ask? Because only half of them apply to civil government, whereas the others apply to self government. That’s why it also mentions those commandments are summed up in “love your neighbor as yourself” while leaving out the “love your God” part.

So, what does this all mean? If you want an easy process to determine whether a candidate is Biblically qualified to hold an elected office (to be a ruler over you), you can use the 4 points from the last 6 commandments as the best vetting tool God ever created.

That’s my process in a nutshell. I’m not being too rigid, it’s 4 things. I’m not looking for perfection, just these 4 minimums. I’m not being political, this is Biblical. I truly realize that the only way our nation (or any nation for that matter) is going to find salvation is by turning back towards God. And that will start with us being doers of the Word, not hearers only.